US & World

8,700 buildings destroyed in wine country wildfires

A Halloween decoration is the only thing left standing in front of homes that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 12, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

AP|October 28, 2017

California fire officials have updated the number of buildings destroyed by wildfires that ripped through Northern California this month to 8,700.

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and four California members of Congress are receiving a briefing from state and federal officials in Santa Rosa, one of the cities hardest hit by the nearly two dozen wildfires that sparked Oct. 8.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency say they've given out more than $6 million in individual assistance. The Environmental Protection Agency says it has assessed 740 properties for hazardous waste in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Pelosi says the members are there to listen and learn about what Congress can do to assist in the response and recovery.

The members' day began with a visit to a federally-funded Santa Rosa health center that was destroyed by the fire.